Tea Kettles: Expert and User Reviews

Our AssessmentEditors evaluate five adjustable electric kettles on boiling time, ability to maintain temperature, ease of use, ease of cleaning and features. Of the five kettles tested, two earn a status of "recommended," two are "recommended with reservations," and one is "not recommended" based on cumbersome controls and difficulty cleaning.

Our AssessmentConsumer magazine, a New Zealand-based contemporary of ConsumerReports.org, tests 16 electric kettles in this thorough review. Models are tested based on boiling speed, ease of use, safety and noise. Noise was the main concern for the testers, who found four kettles with unacceptable noise levels. Two kettles are recommended after the tests, and an additional four are noted as "worth considering." Although the report is current, some of the manufacturers do not produce tea kettles for the U.S. market.

Our AssessmentGood Housekeeping evaluates 24 electric tea kettle brands with very specific testing methods. They do not choose favorites, but offer pros and cons for each kettle. An accompanying article also offers tips on shopping for tea kettles and how to use them. The article provides useful product information when looking up specific models.

Our AssessmentThis short report focuses more on the aesthetic virtues of tea kettles than their functionality. Gillingham-Ryan lists 15 stovetop tea kettles. Short reviews are helpful and address features and shortcomings, although it's not clear whether each tea kettle has been tested. The top two picks are the Kettle by Sori Yanagi and the Chemex Hand Blown Glass Water Kettle.

Our AssessmentReactual.com evaluates a variety of consumer products based on their effectiveness (does it work, is it simple to use, is it inexpensive, non-toxic, universal design, eco-friendly). The reviewer recommends electric tea kettles because they boil twice as fast. The reviewer also says efficiency is the most important feature in an electric tea kettle and names five kettles as the most efficient. Pros and cons are given for each tea kettle featured.

Our AssessmentAmazon.com has accumulated hundreds of owner reviews on stovetop and electric tea kettles, so it's a great place to research product durability and long-term reliability. The Aroma AWK 115S Hot H2O X-Press receives more than 800 reviews, which average out to a 4-star rating. Owners on this site also like the Breville Ikon, Cuisinart CPK-17 PerfecTemp 1.7-Liter Stainless Steel Cordless Electric Kettle, Chef's Choice 677 and the T-Fal BF6520004 Vitesse 1.7L Electric Kettle. The best-reviewed stovetop kettle is the Medelco 12 Cup Glass Stovetop Whistling Tea Kettle and the stainless-steel KitchenAid Porcelain Enamel Teakettle (in stainless steel, which is no longer available), both with over 100 reviews and a 4-star rating.

Our AssessmentCooking.com sells about 75 different tea kettles, tea presses and hot water dispensers. Many receive dozens of ratings and/or reviews that provide helpful insights into the day-to-day use of the kettles. The tea kettles with the most and highest rankings by consumers include the Capresso H2O Plus (4.6 stars out of 5), Adagio IngenuiTea Dispensing Teapot (4.6 stars), Chef's Choice International Cordless Electric Kettle M677SSG (4.5 stars), and the Chef's Choice Cordless 677 (4.5 stars).

Our AssessmentBuzzillions.com collects user reviewers from various shopping websites, such as ABT.com, Macys.com and Cookware.com. It lists more than 100 tea kettles, many of which receive dozens of reviews. Electric kettles are generally more heavily reviewed than their electric counterparts. Three electric kettles receive particularly good reviews. The Jura-Capresso H20 Glass Water Kettle is an electric model with an all-glass carafe, and it maintains an impressive average rating of 4.4 stars out of 5 in nearly 210 reviews. Owners say it boils water very quickly and is stylish. On the downside, a few people say it smells like burning plastic when in use. The Breville Ikon 1.7 Liter Premium is an electric kettle that heats water quickly. Many people like the bell that signals the end of boiling, but a few say that the boiling itself is unusually loud. Owners also like the Cuisinart Cordless Electric Kettle, though a few say the cord is too short.

Our AssessmentOn Williams-Sonoma.com, users can write reviews on products available for purchase. Six tea kettles are available through Williams-Sonoma and include user reviews. The top-rated product is the electric Breville Variable-Temperature Kettle (4.6 stars). Stovetop kettles earn mixed feedback here.

Our AssessmentChowhound.com is an online forum for foodies, where consumers can seek advice from fellow cooking enthusiasts on a variety of topics, including product recommendations. This thread originated in 2005, but users have weighed in with comments as recently as October 2011. This is a good place to find recommendations, although most users recommend overall brands rather than specific tea kettle models.